Mechanical door operator



Feb. 28, 1956 B. F. DIANO ET AL 2,736,552

MECHANICAL DOOR OPERATOR Filed Oct. 2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ill h Fa;IN VENTOR-S Beqedwf E Dl ano Slmeon. E. Dzano ATTDRNEYS Feb. 28, 1956 s.F. DIANO ETAL MECHANICAL DOOR OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2,1952 INVENTORS Benedzci E Dzano D W F MM 8.-

ATTD RN EYS United States Patent-.

2,736,552 Patented Feb. 28, 195 6 This invention relates to door openingand closing devices particularly of the mechanical type, and inparticular a door operating device in which mechanical door operatinginstrumentalities positioned below a door are operated by amotor uponcompletion of a circuit to the motor by the weight of a person upon afoot plate extended from one-or both sides of the door.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a door opening device thatoperates automatically by mechanical means as a person approaches adoor.

Various electrical devices, such as the electric eye, have been used foropening and closing doors with the approach of a'person from either'sideof the door, however, such devices require responsive photo-electricelements that are not only costly but that are difiicult to install. Forthis reason doors of this type are not universally adapted toeither-commercial, ordomestio use. With this thought in mind thisinvention contemplates a pair of plates suspended by springs on bothsides of a door and a motor for opening the door through gears as acircuit is completed to the motor with switches closed by the weight ofa person on one of the plates.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide mechanical meanswhereby a door opens as a person approaching the door steps upon a plateextended from the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical door openingdevice in which means is provided for arresting the opening movement ofthe door to prevent the door striking a person approaching the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical dooropening device which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies a door carried by an arm mounted on a vertically disposed shaftjournaled in a frame below a floor above which the door is positionedwith a gear segment mounted on the shaft and positioned to mesh with apinion on a shaft of a motor also positioned below the floor and whereinthe weight of a person on a plate extended from either side of the doorcloses the circuit to the motor for rotating the pinion to actuate thesegment to swing the door in the opening movement.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the improved door operating deviceshowing floor plates extended from both sides of a door with part of oneof the plates and also part of the floor broken away to show a gearsegment positioned below the floor.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the door opening being takenon line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the doorwith the mounting elements thereof positioned below the door and floor.

Figure 4 is a detail illustrating the door operating shaft with theparts shown on an enlarged scale, and with other parts omitted.

Figure 5 is a detail illustrating a bar upon which the door is mountedand. showing part ofthe bar broken away.

Figure 6 is a typical wiring diagram illustrating the electric circuitsto the motor, latch actuating solenoid and switches.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the improved door operating instrumentalities ofthis invention include a vertically disposed shaft'10, a bar 11positioned on the;

upper end of the shaft and upon which a door 12 is mounted, a gearsegment 13 positioned to mesh with a pinion 14 on a shaft 15 of a motor16, floor plates 17 and 18 positioned on springs 19, and' a plurality ofelectric circuits and switches for opening and closing circuits to themotor and latching elements.

The shaft 10 is positioned as illustrated in Fig. 2 and 3 with the lowerend journaled in a bearing 20 and the upper end in a similar bearing 21and, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the upper end of the shaft is providedwith a square section or splines 22. The upper end 22 of the shaft eX--tends into a socket 23 on the lower surface of the bar 11, the upersurface of which is provided with pins 24 and 25 that extend intothelower end of the door 12.

The motor 16, is positioned below the floor, which is indicated by thenumeral 26 and as-a circuit is completed to the motor the pinion 14 isrotated'in a counterclockwise direction whereby the segment 13 travelsin a clock-' wise direction from the position shown-in- Fig. 1,wherebythe door 1'2 is actuated: from the closed position shown in Fig.1 through an angle of'90 to the open position.

The door closer of this invention, see Fig. 1, is also provided with anautomatic door closure having arms 27 and 23, the arm 27 extended fromthe housing 29 of the door closure and the arm 28, which is pivotallyconnected to the end of the arm 27 with a pin 34) being connected to ithe segment 13 with a pin 31.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the upper part of the door opening may beprovided with a beam 32 having flanges 33 and 34 at the sides, and theupper end of the door is anchored in the beam with a pin 35. The beam 32is positioned against a ceiling 36 and similar beams, as indicated bythe numeral 37 may be provided at the sides, if desired.

The plates 17 and 18 are positioned in openings 38 and 39 in a floor orthe like and, as illustrated in Fig. 2 the springs 19 suspend the plateswith the upper surfaces thereof flush with the surface of the floor 26.

The plates 17 and 18 are positioned to engage contacts or buttons ofswitches for opening and closing circuits and, as illustrated in thewiring diagram, switches 40 and 41 are provided on a beam 42 below theplate 17 with switches 43 and 44 on a beam 45 below the plate 13.

The switches 4t) and 41 are provided with button 46 and 47 respectivelyand similar buttons 48 and 49 are provided on the switches 43 and 44.With the buttons contacting the lower surfaces of the plates 17 and 18the weight of a person on one of the plates moves the buttons below theplate downwardly closing one of the switches on the beam below theplate, and opening the other.

With the floor plates 17 and 18 free or located at floor level, theswitch 40 is open and the switch 41 closed, and, on the opposite side ofthe door, the switch 43 is open and the switch 44 closed.

The weight of a person on the plate 17 at one side of the door moves theplate 17 downwardly, as shown in Figure 6, opening the switch 41 andclosing the switch 40, whereby a circuit is completed from the pluscurrent supply wire through the switches 53, 54, 40, to the motor 3 16,from the motor through the switches 44 and 55 to the solenoid 51, andfrom the solenoid to the minus current supply wire 61.

By the same means a circuit is completed to the motor as the switch 44is opened and the switch 43 closed as a person steps on the plate 18.

By this means the weight of a person on one of the plates closescircuits to actuate the door whereby the door automatically opens as aperson advances toward the door opening, and after the door is open itis retained by the latch 52 in the open position until the circuit isbroken by a switch 53.

The circuit is also provided with a switch 54 which is positioned to beopened by a person stepping on the plate 18 to prevent operation of thedoor when a person approaching the door from one side is within the areacovered by the door.

The switch 54, is located, as illustrated in Fig. 1 whereby a personstanding on the plate 18 at this point or in the path of the openingdoor will hold the switch open thereby preventing completion of thecircuit to the motor so that the motor will not operate when thissection of the plate is depressed by the weight of a person standingthereon.

With the parts arranged in this manner a door operating device isprovided which with the operating instrumentalities installed below afloor completes a circuit that starts a motor positioned below the floorand the motor rotates a pinion that meshes with a gear segment whichturns a door from a closed to an open position.

Upon arriving at the open position the segment engages a switch, such asthe switch 54 which breaks the circuit and stops the operation of themotor, and at the same time the segment engages the latch 52 that holdsthe door open and prevents the automatic door closure from closing thedoor until the latch is released.

It will be understood that modifications within the scope of theappended claim may be made in the design and arrangement of the partsWithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a vertically disposed shaft, a bar positioned on theupper end of said shaft, a door mounted on said bar, a pair ofhorizontally disposed floor plates arranged on opposite sides of saiddoor, a plurality of coil springs engaging the lower surface of saidplates, a motor positioned below one of said plates, a drive shaftoperated by said motor and having a pinion thereon, a gear segmentarranged in meshing engagement with said pinion, bearings arranged inengagement with said drive shaft, the upper end of said drive shaftbeing provided with a square section, said bar being provided with asocket in its lower surface for receiving said square section, pinsextending upwardly from said bar and projecting into the lower end ofsaid door, a horizontally disposed beam adapted to be secured to theceiling and connected to said door, a floor surface arranged in the sameplane as the upper surfaces of said plates, and switch means actuated bysaid floor plates for operating said motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS807,043 Nishimoto Dec. 12, 1905 953,259 De Hoog Mar. 29, 1910 1,018,246Korytowski Feb. 20, 1912 1,700,433 Cox Ian. 29, 1929 1,775,849 Cox Sept.16, 1930 1,822,042 Kohl et al Sept. 8, 1931 2,242,706 Hanson May 20,1941 2,639,142 Morgan et al. May 19, 1953

